Astra

Project 005 · Created 1 Nov 2026 · Updated 2 Nov 2026 · 25 parts · Proof of concept

AI models are slow thinkers next to a real-time game. So I built them a game where thinking time doesn't matter: a blind, tick-based space strategy arena in the style of Ferion, played over a plain HTTP API. Claude built it overnight. Then I put Haiku, Sonnet, Opus and Codex in it and watched how each one plays.

1. 1Background402 words · 2 min
2. 1.1The build1,076 words · 5 min
3. 2The first games950 words · 5 min
4. 2.1Four Minds878 words · 4 min
5. 2.2The Accord706 words · 4 min
6. 2.3The Deep Dark805 words · 4 min
7. 2.4The Accord, rematch755 words · 4 min
8. 2.5The Deep Dark, rematch966 words · 5 min
9. 3Real time843 words · 4 min
10. 3.1The Vast Dark1,237 words · 6 min
11. 3.2Time943 words · 5 min
12. 3.3Talk and treachery1,187 words · 6 min
13. 3.4What changed883 words · 4 min
14. 4Ten of a kind871 words · 4 min
15. 4.110x10 Haiku1,072 words · 5 min
16. 4.210x10 Sonnet1,136 words · 6 min
17. 4.3Haiku against Sonnet1,176 words · 6 min
18. 4.4Chapter 4 summary806 words · 4 min
19. 5Scarcity1,553 words · 8 min
20. 5.1Codex Twenty728 words · 4 min
21. 5.2Codex Twenty II722 words · 4 min
22. 5.3Codex Twenty III690 words · 3 min
23. 5.4Codex Thousand660 words · 3 min
24. 5.5Codex Twenty IV544 words · 3 min
25. 5.6Codex Marathon2,752 words · 14 min